UK Ghost Rider article

[Fire-medic]

IN his latest film Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, star Nicolas Cage gets to play both aspects of the character - renowned stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze and his flame-skulled alter-ego astride a bike engulfed by hellfire.
In the original 2007 film, the Ghost Rider was played by a number of stunt performers. But the actor relished taking on both personas this time and, as far as Cage is concerned, the more risk the better.
"The odd thing with me - when you see me with all this caffeine on the table - is that it calms me down. Red Bull relaxes me," he explained during an interview to promote the film.
"If someone puts some fire on me or asks me to drive very fast in a car chase, everything slows down and it gets my mind off whatever baggage may be happening. It all goes away and I relax, so I like doing stunts."
It's why he believes teaming up with film's directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor proved the perfect partnership.
"They have this gonzo energy, this wild intensity and they're both really up for anything. I think I fit into that, too," says Cage.
It was Taylor who suggested Cage inhabit Blaze's supernatural alter-ego over whom he has little control.
"That opened up all sorts of new doors for me," says the star, who's played multiple roles in a movie before - as twin brothers in the quirky comedy Adaptation, which earned him an Oscar nomination in 2003 - but this time the character wasn't human.
"Since the Ghost Rider's not anything you can relate to, it was important to me that there be some distance and some fear present when playing that part," he explains.
Cage has already revealed how he got into character by drawing on various unorthodox influences including shamanism, voodoo and the movements of cobras and Trent Reznor. He would turn up on set with his face painted like a death spirit, wearing black contact lenses and with ancient artefacts sewn into his costume.
It doesn't sound like the best state of mind for riding a high-powered motorcycle in dangerous stunt sequences. But Cage says he had every faith in the machine they chose for the film.

He said: "The truth is I was blessed to work with the Yamaha VMAX. I'm not a sponsor for Yamaha, I don't have a contract with Yamaha, but I have had my experiences on several different motorcycles and they're the best; because if you think of something that you want the bike to do, it'll happen.
"So I could go impossibly fast on that motorcycle, and tell it to stop safely and it will. And I totally trusted that motorcycle. I never got hurt."
He explained that he only gets chance to do this when making movies.
"My insurance today tells me that I'm not allowed to ride motorcycles in my own life so I have to do it when I'm working. I'm legally unable to ride motorcycles. It's a contract I have with my life insurance. So whenever I have a chance to do a movie and ride a bike I go for it."
So was his nearest and dearest worried? Cage married third wife Alice Kim in 2004, and says she was fine with all the high-octane sequences with the Yamaha.
"She loved it. She thought it looked great, she thought it was a very sexy motorcycle and wanted to have a ride on it," he laughs.
The actor is only too aware of the stereotypical images associated with motorbikes and those who ride them, recalling one conversation that gave him the idea for this new adventure. It happened while he was doing the press tour for the first movie.
"The genesis of the idea for Spirit of Vengeance began in London. I was promoting the Ghost Rider with [director of the first movie] Mark Johnson and I used to like to, in my own life, dress in leather pants and a leather jacket and motorcycle boots.
"And I went to Westminster Abbey on my lunch break, just on a lark," says Cage.
"I walked into an environmental summit with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the head of the Greek Orthodox Church, and a bishop from Colorado gave me a tour and then he introduced me to them.
"There I was, dressed as the Ghost Rider with these spiritual leaders, these very important spiritual leaders, and then the Denver bishop said to me, he whispered in my ear: 'And by the way, I can be naughty too'.
"So I thought: 'Okay, let's do a movie where the Ghost Rider is working with the Church.'"

http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/thegeekfiles/2012/02/nicolas-cage-praises-yahama-vm.html

 

[bazwell]

Cool find FM.

But "I'm legally unable to ride motorcycles" must suck balls!
All that money and you aren't allowed to have fun? Hmmph. Balls to that.

 

[Rollie]

Hey Nick , if you like riding so much , have you thought about changing your insurance company ? :ummm:

 

[Fire-medic]

Well, be realistic here, guys, when someone makes probably $7-10 million/movie, before any 'points' on the sales, and movie bankrolling for production may reach tens of millions of dollars, he is a valuable commodity. Sure, he could look for other insurance, but he may find he cannot obtain insurance at reasonable cost, plus, he's probably insured for, again, tens of millions of $. aybe he can ride when he isn't in a production deal, which is probably never. :confused2:

Yeah, it sucks to be him, for this one thing. The VP to the POTUS has a 1967 Corvette he isn't allowed to drive by the Secret Service either. Things could be worse, right, like being Irish & allergic to Guiness (my family is from by Monaghan).

 

[VMike]

Nice article and thanks for sharing. I never did get to see it in the theater but will get the dvd when it comes out. Certainly some good PR and props for the Gen II.
Mike

 

[misiek93]

I wonder why does he even need life insurance? Maybe it's mandated by the movie company? In any case, he can ride all he wants once he retires. Plus if he rides in a helmet nobody can tell it's him, just sayin':biglaugh:

 

[deekjx]

I wonder why does he even need life insurance? Maybe it's mandated by the movie company? In any case, he can ride all he wants once he retires. Plus if he rides in a helmet nobody can tell it's him, just sayin':biglaugh:

Hey may not be referring to just his life insurance. Medical insurance is important regardless of income. Actor's have special insurance contracts that are often required for work on films and I've heard they can have some pretty crazy terms and conditions. I don't believe the movie set supplies that insurance but requires it of the well paid actors. Keep in mind I could easily be wrong in this area. Dismemberment insurance for acting professionals often has odd clauses too. For example hand models can't hammer nails and work with sharp instruments.

 

[DakRatFink]

Being active duty military, I can see where is is coming from. The powers that be have not come up with a legal way to lawfully order us to not ride, however we have to jump through all sorts of hoops and sign a a dozen pieces of paperwork and get a dozen briefings saying that IF we choose to ride and don't abide by all DOD mandated programs ( like attend MSF, wear all our gear etc) and we get in a wreck then Tricare will not pay for our injuries.

Movie studios are covering their ***** same way the DOD does with Soldier, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines.

On another note. I'm sure sure Steve McQueen did plenty to contribute to studio bean counters collective ulcers.